What Does Armadillo Damage Look Like?

gldno1January 7, 2007

I can't believe it, but we were out raking the yard yesterday and cleaning up lots of debris from our lovely Siberian Elms. Our yard was full of small mounds of loose dirt. I didn't find runs beneath. I did see some normal mole runs but not near these mounds. They were about 12 inches in dia and height. My neighbor thinks it is armadillos....I don't know, but I have decided it is not moles.

I found lots of perennials coming up and jonquils. I tried to mound some of the leaves over them; hoping they won't get completely killed back by a hard freeze. I hate this weather!

Today we will haul off the limbs or I will chop them. I still have a few bags of shredded leaves to spread and will try to get that done. I give up waiting for a hard freeze to do it.

Gld, armadillos don't make mounds, they make holes....and many of them! In our yard they are generally about 3 inches deep and close to that wide also. If they incounter food (grubs, ants, etc.) the holes and diggings may run together! They are rather like hogs rooting!
Here is a picture I took of one in our yard a few years ago:

Thanks Marian. I didn't really think a rooting animal has made the hills.....maybe moles???

I remember the first time I saw an armadillo a few years ago. I was coming back from the mailbox and one was standing up in the yard; I did a double-take and for a moment it didn't register what on earth it was! He stayed around a day or two and then disappeared. Weird little critter.